Pay attention to the air you breathe... and not only to the external one!
The air we breathe in our homes or workplaces can be up to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Small precautions are enough to protect our health from the dangers related to indoor pollution and protect those most at risk.
Closed within the four walls of the home we feel safe from smog and other harmful substances that pollute the outside air. But in our homes, in the offices where we work and in schools, the air we breathe is not as healthy as we imagine.
This is the so-called indoor pollution, or the presence in the air of confined environments of physical, chemical and biological contaminants. The air we breathe inside the home or workplace can be up to 5 times more polluted than the outdoor one, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) which warns of the risks and pathologies related to this type of pollution.
The consequences related to poor domestic air quality are linked to a higher incidence of pneumonia, acute chronic respiratory infections, heart attacks, cardiovascular diseases and allergic respiratory diseases, found especially among the population of children.
According to a study published in The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the deaths attributed each year to indoor pollution are about two million and, of these, one million concern children under the age of 5.
A research carried out by the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering of the University of Cassino, promoted by ANTER and funded by NWG ENERGIA Spa Società Benefit, shows the impact that airborne dust can have on children, a "vulnerable population" for various anatomical and behavioral reasons, not least their high rate of inhalation
What pollutes our homes?
The categories of pollutants that can worsen the quality of the air in the house can be divided into the following categories:
The concentration of indoor pollutants can vary over time and depends on the nature of the source, ventilation, habits and activities carried out by the occupants in the environments concerned, as shown by a research carried out by the Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA).
The composition of indoor air is often characterized by a mixture of compounds that varies greatly from what can be found in outdoor atmospheric air. Although at low concentrations, the presence of contaminants in confined spaces can have a major impact on the health and well-being of occupants due to long-term exposures.
The risk, in fact, is linked to exposure, or to the concentration integrated over time: the average residence time in a confined environment reaches 80-90% of the available daily time, which is why it is a key aspect in the evaluation of the effects of indoor pollution.
Among the most common sources of pollutants we find tobacco smoke, combustion processes, products for cleaning and maintenance of the house, pesticides, the use of glues, adhesives, solvents etc., the use of work tools such as printers, plotters and photocopiers and products for hobby (eg glues and paints).
Emissions of materials used for construction (e.g. insulation containing asbestos) and furnishings (e.g. furniture made of chipboard, plywood or medium-density wood fibre panels, or treated with pesticides, but also carpets and coatings) can also contribute to the mixture of pollutants present.
The malfunction of the ventilation system or an incorrect placement of the air intakes near areas with high pollution (e.g. high traffic roads, underground parking, garage, etc.) can lead to an important penetration of pollutants from the outside. Air conditioning systems can become a breeding ground for mold and other biological contaminants and spread those agents throughout the building.
The bedroom, being the place where we spend at least eight hours a day, is potentially among the most dangerous areas if we consider the sum of the possible various polluting sources: from furniture, blankets and sheets, to curtains and air conditioning systems, to high CO2 levels, due to the poor air exchange in the room.
But even the kitchen can become a risky place, such as when in smaller apartments the hob is very close to the living area: if you do not open the windows or do not use hoods and vacuum cleaners, harmful volatile organic compounds are released into the air due to combustion sources.
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What risks do we run to our health?
The health effects related to the alteration of indoor air quality (IAQ) can be linked to different environmental and individual factors: type and concentration of the pollutant, presence of synergies with other pollutants, exposure time, microclimatic parameters and susceptibility of exposed people.
They can be acute, short-term, or chronic, long-term:
(Source: Ministry of Health)
The groups most at risk are: children (subject to potentially longer exposure than adults to toxic agents considering their life expectancy), the elderly and people with chronic diseases (heart and respiratory diseases), diseases of the immune system and people on low incomes. .
Early exposures can cause harm to health as early as childhood, but also later in life or in future generations. Recent WHO data show that more than half of European children are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke at home. In addition, at least 15% of children and adolescents live in very humid houses and in microclimatic conditions that contribute to the development and worsening of asthma crises.
According to a BVA Doxa research, however, it would seem that awareness of the negative effects due to low air quality indoors is increasingly spreading among Italians: 56% believe that indoor air is potentially more polluted and harmful than outdoor air (44%).
This figure is strongly related to the area of residence: in large cities for 53% of Italians the idea prevails that the outside air is the real danger; while in medium-small cities and even more in non-urban areas the situation is reversed (respectively 57% and 64% of Italians think that indoor air is more polluted). The environmental factor therefore affects the perception of air quality: more than two out of three Italians link the purity of the air to the concept of mountain, followed by sea (18%) and countryside (13%).?
How to reduce indoor pollution?
By changing some of our habits it is possible to improve indoor air quality and, consequently, our health conditions in the short and long term. Following a series of precautions that we can adopt in our homes we will avoid the accumulation of pollutants between the walls of the home.
The Istituto Superiore della Sanità has created a vademecum dedicated to the improvement of the air of our homes, a series of behaviors to avoid and others to be pursued as virtuous:
As for the excessive use of heating of living spaces during the cold season, in addition to causing an unnecessary waste of energy to the damage of the ecosystem, it makes the environments suffocating and dry, leading to a series of problems with the respiratory tract and skin.
For the humidity of walls and ceilings, which in addition to generating mold and bad odors, is also the cause of respiratory tract infections, it is important to identify the critical areas of the house, ventilate these spaces daily and, for those who do not have a home air conditioning system, can also install an air purifier to eliminate pollutants and create a more sterile and healthy environment that allows you to breathe better.
Plants can also help when it comes to fighting indoor pollution. There are some particular species that have the ability to "absorb" pollution, releasing clean air, such as Ficus Benjamin, the trunk of happiness and ivy that manage to "trap" pollutants such as ozone and formaldehyde, making the air at home cleaner.
Credit and source : ANTER Italia